Robbinsdale Hy-Vee Plans September Opening
Behind the bulldozers and mounds of dirt, a Robbinsdale Hy-Vee grocery store is rising from the soil.
“Now you’ve actually got a structure and there’s lights on so a lot of anticipation,” said Robbinsdale Mayor Regan Murphy. “A lot of people are asking is it really going to open up? They know now that something’s going to happen quick.”
Hy-Vee is expected to open between mid-September and early October.
“Having a local grocery store in Robbinsdale back again will be great,” Murphy said. “Having another place for people to gather, eating, setting up meetings, will be a nice community space as well. It’s going to be exciting to have down there.”
Robbinsdale Hy-Vee Jobs Impact
According to Murphy, Hy-Vee should have an instant impact along the County Road 81 corridor. The Iowa-based grocery chain will also provide many jobs.
“Initially they said close to 500,” Murphy said. “But I think for long-term certainly upwards of 300. It will be pretty significant for Robbinsdale.”
CCX News reached out to the Des Moines, Iowa-based grocer for comment on the store’s hiring schedule. We did not hear back.
Road Construction Upgrade
There’s another impact from the Robbinsdale Hy-Vee construction. With Hy-Vee moving into the neighborhood, County Road 81 is getting an upgrade, a reason the orange barrels came out earlier this week.
“They closed one lane on 81,” Murphy said. “You’ll notice when you drive by they are installing a stoplight and an entrance right there on 81 for Hy-Vee.”
Getting to this point was not easy. Leveling the historic Terrace Theatre to make way for a grocery store caused a lot of acrimony in Robbinsdale. But now the city is focused on the future.
“It was a battle and it was something as a community it was a struggle to get through,” Murphy said. “I think we’ve moved on.”
The presence of Hy-Vee is expected to foster future development too. Apartments and other businesses are expected to be built next door at the site of the existing St. Petersburg Restaurant and Vodka Bar.
